LKY School Internship Programme 2016

Students who would like to apply for funding from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy to help support their internship experience for Semester 2 (Jan to Apr 2016) and the Summer Vacation (May to July 2016) can start submitting their applications, taking reference to the application deadlines below.

Background

The Funded Internship Programme (FIP) 2015 started as a pilot project and has been well received since its inception. Against this backdrop, the FIP will henceforth be known as the Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) School Internship Programme and will be applicable for unpaid internship positions in Asia offered by internship hosts that are government or non-profit organisations.

What is it?

The LKY School Internship Programme is designed to motivate and support Master in Public Policy (MPP) students to explore meaningful internships and acquire invaluable work experience prior to graduation. The objective of this programme is to encourage students to seek out unpaid, volunteer work and learning opportunities in the public service, non-profit and multilateral organisations either in Singapore or in other parts of Asia. Successful applicants will receive a cash award of up to SGD 1,000. Paid internships and internships in private organizations are not eligible for funding support from the LKY School Internship Programme. Please feel free to approach Career Services should you have any enquiries on what types of host organisations would qualify for funding.

Read about the students’ internship experience under the LKY School Internship Programme here.

With the support of the LIP, LKY School students have done internships at the following organisations:

Disclaimer: The content featured on this website such as the students’ internship reports and blogs have been provided for informational purposes only and is not intended and should not be construed to constitute official views of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy or the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Who is it for?

All LKY School MPP (including incoming Double Degree) and MPA students are eligible to apply for the funding. However, please note that this is a highly competitive programme and we expect only a small number of students to be selected each year.

Why should you apply?

Internships provide students with valuable and relevant work experience, as well as opportunities to expand their network of professional contacts. The LKY School Internship Programme encourages students to explore career paths in public service in Asia. As these internships are often unpaid, the funding support is meant to help in defraying some of the costs that students may incur during their internships.

With the support of the pilot Funded Internship Programme, LKY School students have done internships at a variety of organisations such as the United Nations Development Programes (UNDP) in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) in Thailand, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Iran and the Pure Heart Foundation. Click here to find out more about their experience and how they benefitted.

What is the selection criteria?

Preference will be given to applicants who are able to:

Articulate a perspective on how methods and theories learnt in the classroom may be applied to their internship.

Attest how they will further the LKYSPP mission during and after the internship.

Offer more substantive accounts of their internship experience* (i.e. video and blog versus one written article)

Show evidence of active student leadership and/or service to the LKY School

*Successful applicants will be required to provide a detailed account of their internship experience through a medium of their choice (subject to approval by Career Services), such as a video, a written article and/or a blog with photos and at least 5 substantive entries, within 4 weeks upon completion of the internship. Consideration for funding will be based on the number and quality of deliverables that an applicant is willing to provide when submitting an account of their internship experience.

In AY2015-2016, funding will not be considered for:

Internships that take place outside of Asia

Internships in private sector organisations

Internships that are paid or compensated in any way (e.g. meal/transport allowance)

How to apply?

Provide a confirmation letter with details of the internship, issued by the organisation on their official letterhead, which explicitly states:

the name of the intern

the duration of the internship

a declaration that the internship is unpaid

that it is a full-time position (at least 30 hours a week) and

that the organisation is a non-profit or public service organization

Provide a personal statement which clearly articulates how this internship will fit into the applicant’s academic or career goals, as well as how the internship will advance the LKY School mission. (LKY School’s Mission: Educate and inspire current and future generations of leaders to raise the standards of governance in Asia, improve the lives of its people and contribute to the transformation of the region.)

Provide an updated resume/CV

When must I submit my application?

Important Deadlines

To request for funding for Internship during the different vacation period, please submit a completed application form (see attached), along with the supporting documents, via email to Ashley Koh ( sppkohb@nus.edu.sg.) by the deadlines indicated below.

No

Vacation Period

Application Deadline

1

Winter Internship (Dec 2015 to 8 Jan 2016)

22 December 2015

2

Part-time Internship during Semester 2 (11 Jan to 7 May 2016)

The earlier deadline of 22 January has been extended to 28 March 2016.

3

Summer Internship (9 May 2016 to 29 July 2016)

8 April 2016

For those who did Summer Internship (9 May 2016 to 29 July 2016) and did not manage to submit your application the last round, you can submit your application for funding by 31 Oct 2016.

Winter Internship (Dec 2015 – 8 Jan 2016)

Students who have found internships for the vacation period between Dec 2015 to Jan 2016, please notify the Career Services team about your internship details by 21 March 2016 if you have not done so.

Please take note that we are no longer accepting application request for funding for unpaid internship undertaken during this period (Dec 2015-Jan 2016).

When will I receive the funds?

Funding support will be transferred to your account only after successful completion of your internship, and after Career Services has received the following:

A completed Internship Feedback Form on your internship performance, filled out by your internship supervisor

All promised deliverables as stated on your application form (e.g. blog, video, article with photos etc)